The Final End
by Arrabella Arithmancy
Summary: my best so far, I think. Definately my longest...


The Final End  
  
AN: I have to write this in the beginning, because I want everyone who reads this to watch for things to comment upon, critisize, etc. If I get enough, I'll rewrite it. (Btw- I have no idea how Dobby got in this. Maybe he snuck in through a plothole...)  
  
Harry Potter was in his seventh year at Hogwarts, and Harry Potter, hero of the wizarding world, was afraid. He felt, in his own words, 'more afraid then (he's) ever been before.' At least, he thinks so.  
  
He had to ask a girl to the 'Batty Ball.'  
  
The Batty Ball was a new event at Hogwarts. It had been invented by Parvati Patil, Padma Patil, Lavendar Brown, and Cho Chang. It was a Halloween masked ball. They had somehow convinced the teachers to hold it.  
  
Harry could've had any (non-slytherin) girl he wanted. Some girls had even asked him. But, he wouldn't take any of them. He would only take Hermione.  
  
Hermione and Harry had been dated occasionally for the last year (with Ron gaving bemusedly on), but Harry still felt nervous. However, he finally got up the courage to ask her, hardly two weeks before the dance. After meeting eachother in the common room after classes (it was fortunately empty), their dialogue went something like this:  
  
"Oh, um, hi Hermione."  
  
"Hi Harry."  
  
"Well, er, um, I was wondering, you know, if, er, maybe, I mean, if you're not busy or anything..."  
  
"If I'll go to the Batty Ball with you?"  
  
"Well, yeah..."  
  
"I'd love to."  
  
Coming out of that, Harry felt as though all his dealings with Voldemort and his followers were terrifically easy.  
  
Harry and Hermione went to the Batty Ball and had a terrific time. They started going out more regularly and everyone at Hogwarts considered them a 'couple'.  
  
All of the 'Dream Team' (Harry, Hermione, and Ron), elected to stay at Hogwarts over the Christmas break. It was relatively quiet compared to their usual 'projects' (investigating different mysteries), and they spent most of their time sitting in the common room playing chess and exploding snap.  
  
On Christmas Morning, Harry and Ron woke up to Notes posed above their heads, reading, 'Come down to the common room for a present exchange- bring any presents already given so we can open them all together.' The two boys grinned at each other and gathered up their presents.  
  
When they entered the common room, Hermione was already sitting on the floor by the fireplace. She grinned as she beckoned them over.  
  
"Merry Christmas!" she said.  
  
"Merry Christmas!" they replied as they settled down on the floor.  
  
"Alright, boys! One at a time! Exchange last. Ron, you start," Hermione ordered. Ron made no objection. He reached for a small, rectangular package. He opened it, and a Zonko's box and a card fell out. They box was full of Filibuster Fireworks and the card said they were from Fred and George (Fred and George now worked for Zonko's Research and Development section). Ron just laughed.  
  
"You next, Harry."  
  
Harry obligingly reached for a lumpy package he knew was from Mrs. Weasley. The familiar sweater came out, except that it was knitted of gold and red thread. It had a little 'HP' stitched over the left breast. A note came with Mrs. Weasley's best wishes for the rest of the year.  
  
Gift-opening carried on until Hermione, Harry, and Ron all had a substantial pile. Hermione finally announced that it was time for each of them to give gifts. Ron was again, first. he presented a box of assorted candies to Hermione and a book of quidditch moves to Harry. Harry was next and he gave a model of the Chudley Cannons. The players all moved around (though they didn't move their feet, being molded to the stand). Hermione's present was a silver locket.  
  
Hermione noticed the emptiness of the locket. "Harry, there's no pictures!"  
  
"I wanted you to pick you favorite pictures to put in there. I want you to treasure it," he explained.  
  
"I will," she replied.  
  
Ron just rolled his eyes, a half smile on his face.  
  
"Alright, it's my turn," Hermione stated. She gave Ron his gift, a 'never-ending nugget' (a candy garanteed to last forever!). Harry's present was a ring.  
  
"I got this ring at the magical jewelry shop. They said it used to be some famous persons... anyway, I want you to have it because it matches the house and your personality."  
  
The ring was gold with a lion ornament. The lion had sparkling red eyes.  
  
Harry took the ring. It was warm to the touch and heavy, heavier than a normal ring. As he put it on, it warmed his hand. A slight tingle enveloped his hand, than disappeared. It left so fast, Harry wondered if he had imagined the sensation.  
  
"Well? Do you like it?" Hermione prompted.  
  
Harry shook his head slightly. "Yeah, it's great."  
  
Hermione smiled. Ron turned because someone was coming downstairs. It was Neville.  
  
"Hi, everyone! Merry Christmas!" Neville said.  
  
"Hi!"  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Hi, Neville! Merry Christmas to you, too!"  
  
"It's almost time for breakfast. Better get dressed," Neville said. Then he exited through the portrait hole.  
  
***  
  
Break ended and school started. Harry, Ron, and Hermione (especially Hermione), started studying for their N.E.W.T.s. Many hours were spent in the library, trying to remember what other ingredient one could use in a luck potion instead of a shamrock, or the correct pronunciation of the aparration spell.  
  
However, any free hours not spent in the library, Harry and Hermione were usually to be found walking by the lake or in the gardens.  
  
One quiet evening, one week before tests, the 'Dream Team' was again studying in the library.  
  
Ron was searching madly through one fat book.  
  
"Harry, what's a Neglick?" Ron asked frantically.  
  
"I don't know," said Harry, deeply immersed in a book about the social habits of Fluddlepucks.  
  
"Great Wizards, Ron! A Neglick was the measurement used in Atlantis! Didn't you learn anything in Proffessor Binns' class?" Hermione said, exsasperated.  
  
Ron ignored her tone and just said, "Thanks."  
  
Harry, reading about Fluddlepucks full moon ceremony, suddenly felt dizzy, and his ring felt warm. He shook his head, but the dizziness and the warmth increased. The room began to spin.  
  
"Wh-what's happening?" he cried.  
  
"Oh, no! Harry!"  
  
That was the last thing he heard before everything went black.  
  
***  
  
When Harry woke up, he was very cold. He seemed to be in some kind of dungeon. His ring burned with red light. The Sorting Hat was at his feet. A voice spoke from behind him.  
  
"Harry Potter..."  
  
Harry recognized that voice and he slowly trned around.  
  
A man stood in front of him, but it didn't look much like a man.  
  
His eyes, red slits, stood out on his face. Snake eyes.  
  
His nose, also slits, slowly opened and closed with the man's breath.  
  
His skin, pale green or grey, glistened in the dim light.  
  
His hand, the skin like to that of his face, held a long, black whip, ending with a silver spike.  
  
His other hand bore a ring.  
  
A ring, with a snake ornament. It was silver with flashing green eyes. The ring glowed like Harry's, but the light also was green.  
  
"Voldemort." Harry's voice carried a hatred, a hatred so strong you could almost feel it.  
  
"Harry Potter..." Voldemort repeated. "You are finally here. Are you wondering where you are? You are in a seperate dimension. One where there is no one to bother us.  
  
"You wear the ring of Gryffindor, I see. I wonder where you got it?"  
  
"It was a gift," Harry answered coldly.  
  
"Ah, a gift. Hmm. Anyway, I see something followed you here." Voldemort eyed the Sorting Hat. "It helped you once, let's see if it will again. A duel Potter! No wands. Weapons only. I, the whip of Slytherin! You, the sword of Gryffindor. If you can get it, of course."  
  
Harry bent down and retreived the Sorting Hat. He set it upon his head and immediately he felt something hard drop onto his head. He reached up and took the sword from he hat. Voldemort's eyes narrowed.  
  
"All right then, Potter. Start!"  
  
With those words, Voldemort lifted lifted the whip. He broke it down. A voice spoke in Harry's head.  
  
"Right" it cautoned and Harry moved in that direction. The whip missed. Harry came closer to Voldemort and swung the sword at him. Harry also missed.  
  
"bad aim, boy" the voice said.  
  
The fight carried on, the voice giving directions and advice the entire time. After hours of fighting, all Harry had to show was Voldemort's torn cloak and all Voldemort had to show was a red cut from the whip on Harry's forearm, but both were exhausted.  
  
Voldemort seemed to grow frustrated, and he threw aside the whip and pulled at his wand. He sent an extremely strong Dark curse.  
  
"Jump!" the voice warned. Harry quickly leaped up, and the curse passed underneath him. He reached for his own wand, dropping the sword.  
  
"Protarius Gryffin" the voice said, and Harry automatically opened his mouth and repeated the words, giving a swish to his wand.  
  
A glow seemed to come over Harry. He seemed to be emating a feeling of security. From the look on Voldemort's face, he seemed to know that he could not hurt Harry.  
  
"Defeate Evel" the voice came softly. Harry repeated the words, as before, and a flash of bright, white light filled the room.  
  
The light in Voldemort's ring went out, and Lord Voldemort was no more.  
  
***  
  
Harry woke up looking into the face of Dobby.  
  
"Oh, he is awake! Great Harry Potter is awake!" Dobby shouted.  
  
Harry winced, and Dobby lowered his voice. "He had you," he intoned solemnly.  
  
Just then, Harry noticed Albus Dumbledore stand up from the chair he was sitting in, a few feet from the bed Harry was laying in.  
  
"Hello, Harry." Harry smiled wearily. "I know you've been through a lot. You seemed to be narrarating what was happening. But now is not the time. Rest."  
  
Harry closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.  
  
***  
  
Harry woke up to the sound of Madame Pomfrey bustling around. He sat up, and she turned towards him.  
  
"Oh, you're awake. Lay back down! I will not have you tiring yourself out. I'll call for the Headmaster."  
  
Harry obligingly obeyed her command to lay back down, and listened as she left the room. A little while later, Proffesor Dumbledore came in. His eyes twinkled.  
  
"Voldemort's dead," Harry told him.  
  
"Oh, I know. Like I said, you seemed to have been narrarating. Anyway, your rest seems to have done you good! You've been asleep for five days, you know," Dumbledore smiled again. "And you seem to have quite a fan club!" Harry looked around and saw that the room seemed to be overflowing with cards and sweets. "You're adventures are being told throughout the school!"  
  
"Proffesor," Harry started.  
  
"Yes?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"I was wondering, if you know what happened, what was that voice?"  
  
"Did you forget how you got the sword? The Hat, my boy, the hat! And by the way, thanks for bringing it back." Dumbledore gestured to Harry's head. Harry looked up, and he saw the tip of the Sorting Hat dangling over his forehead. He reached up and pulled it off, setting it on the bedside table.  
  
"Headmaster?" Harry began again.  
  
Dumbledore just tilted his hed, inviting him to go on.  
  
"What were the rings and the spells I said?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled again. "Ah, yes. The rings and the spells. I was wondering if you would ask."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Well, my boy, for the rings, each Hogwarts founder had a special ring with their symbol on it. It was handed down that line. If the ring was lost, it always found it's way back to the heir. When worn in battle, the rings shown with a great light. If the heir died, the light went out. As you know, Voldemort was Slytherin's heir. You, Harry, are the heir of Gryffindor."  
  
While Harry digested this, Dumbledore went on. "The spells were discovered by Gryffindor. You could even say he created them. 'Protarius Gryffin', when said by his heir, would protect them in a duel. 'Defeate Evel,', however, could be used by any direct discendant of his. You had to be emmensely strong. It would wipe out any person used upon if the were completely evil."  
  
"And Voldemort was..."  
  
"Completely evil." Dumbledore finished. "Yes. He was."  
  
They sat for a minute or two, until Harry spoke again.  
  
"How did the Sorting Hat know the spells?"  
  
"Well, the Sorting Hat probably knows more than we give credit," Dumbledore replied.  
  
And forever after, Harry would always swear that the Hat smiled at this. 


End file.
